1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to kits, compositions, tools and methods for the manufacture of construction materials with artificial and/or added color. More particularly, the invention is directed to compositions, materials and methods for the manufacture of bricks and masonry blocks with a variety of colors, color patterns and colors that simulate natural materials such as bricks, cement and stone.
2. Description of the Background
Cement is manufactured from hydraulic calcium silicates containing calcium sulfate with other components. This composition is heated to high temperature and mixed with limestone, shale and other naturally occurring materials that are generally white or gray. These cements generally considered to be uncolored. The addition of pigments or dyes to uncolored cement creates a colored cement composition such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,876 which discloses a pigment containing thixotropic slurry that can be stored in drums for 6-12 months by a cement contractor and used in a batching system. Also, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,558,708 and 5,846,315 disclose methods, composition and system for preparing pigmented cement compositions employing an aqueous component that contains a pigment and a dry powdered component. Other methods for preparing colored or pigmented cement compositions are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,199,986, 3,667,976, and 4,946,505.
A product referred to as COLORQUARTZ is an aggregate that contains quartz particles ceramically coated by a process that permanently bonds inorganic pigments to the quartz particle. Particles are prepared by firing with intense heating at temperatures of 315° C. (600° F.) or higher. The particles are available in an S grade, which are spherical shaped particles and a T grade which are trowable particles, and are about 12-70 mesh or larger. The ceramically coated granules can be added to cement compositions such as plasters or flooring compositions to provide specks of color throughout the area or flooring, and do not provide a uniform color to the cement composition.
Gray cement can be prepared by employing a naturally occurring gray calcium carbonate product as an inert filler. The naturally occurring gray calcium carbonate exhibits a very high sulfur content that may adversely affects the final properties of the cured product, but the product is otherwise gray. Attempts at preparing colored cement compositions have included crushing naturally occurring colored marble, such as a green marble, and using the crushed colored marble as the inert filler in the cement composition. With this process, colors are limited and inhomogeneously dispersed and, accordingly, additional pigment is usually required with the problems and disadvantages associated therewith.
A disadvantage of preparing colored cement is that the pigment used to prepare the colored cement is typically dispersed throughout the fluid composition rather than being fixed to any of the solids in the composition and, thus, dispersion of the pigment leads to leaching while the cement is hydrating. In addition, the dispersion of pigments in cement compositions often results in color differences between batches due to variations in starting materials the fact that pigments tend to float to the surface.